


Head Above Water

by Byutsuno



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Cuddling, Dating, Domestic, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, F/F, Finger kissing, Fluff and Angst, Forehead Kisses, Hugging, Injury Recovery, Interspecies Relationship(s), Love Confessions, Picnics, Post-Canon, culture clash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-19
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-08-26 02:59:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16673434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Byutsuno/pseuds/Byutsuno
Summary: Rayla isn't used to human customs. Growing up, she was taught that the weakest links always get left behind. It was all she was ever told. So why won't anyone let her help? Why do they all look at her with such pity in their eyes? Why can't she prove herself useful?





	1. Chapter 1

The sun’s rays drooled into the guest room of the castle, cascading over Rayla’s dormant body. She had been awake for hours but after moving into the Xadia castle with her human friends and human girlfriend, she had gotten used to lounging in bed, alone with her thoughts. Lately, however, those thoughts had turned sour. There had been a question nagging at the back of her mind for days, a question she wasn’t sure how to answer. 

_ ‘How long can I jus’ stay here before I overstay my welcome?’  _

Reluctantly, she opened her eyes and blinked the sleep away. She sat up in the large bed with a yawn and stretched her arms above her head. Then, with a quick expel of air, she curled her hands into tight fists and slammed them down into the soft sheets at her sides. She knew how to fix her issue. 

“Today’s the day I stop bein’ a freeloader and start pullin’ my own weight aroun’ere!” 

Rayla hopped out of the bed, bare feet padding against the cool tiles, and skipped over to her new closet. She swung open the grand doors and instinctively went for her usual garments, her blue and green bodysuit, before freezing mid-action. 

She chuckled at herself. 

She danced her fingers over a few spots and pulled a dark green, floral top that fell off her shoulders from the closet instead. She matched it with a pair of brown pants and black, low cut work boots.    
Claudia had been urging Rayla to dress more casually since conflict between the humans and the moonshadow elves had receded. It was difficult leaving her weapons within her room while she roamed the court and and castle walls, but Claudia said it made her seem more approachable. Rayla figured if she was going to be living around more humans, she should work hard to seem friendly and dispel the rumours that had circulated about elves. It would make everyone’s lives easier. 

Once she had combed the tangles out of her silver hair, being extra careful of her ears and horns, she strode out of her room confidently, her lavender eyes scanning the halls, looking around for anyone who may need her help.    


Her first victim of amity was Soren. Rayla spotted him carrying a box that seemed heavy, even for the esteemed knight, down the castle halls. He was debating if he could make it down the winding stairs of the castle without sacrificing himself or the large box. 

Rayla subconsciously snuck up behind him, tapping him on the shoulder and jumping when he yelped. He struggled to regain balance with the box in his arms, teetering over the edge of the stairs. He pushed himself backwards, sticking his leg back to support himself as the weight of the box shifted onto his broad chest. 

“Hey, Ray!” He grunted and groaned as Rayla watched him struggle. “What’s up?”

“Soren, do ya need m’help?” She tried and failed to hide the excitement in her voice. This was a chance to prove herself worthy of their charity. 

“Uhh,” Soren felt his legs shake under the weight of the box. He looked between it and Rayla. “Yeah, sure, okay. I need...to bring this...box of gear...to the...courtyard.” His breathing got heavier the more he spoke. “Grab...the other end? Please?” 

“Sure!” Rayla exclaimed. She rushed to the other side of the box and grabbed the edges Soren’s fingers couldn’t reach. She began leaning back, urging Soren to push some of the weight onto her side. “I’ve got it! Don’t wo-- ouch!” 

Before she could properly reassure the other, a twang of pain rippled through her left arm, making it seize up and release the box. The box slipped from her fingers, overpowering her with its weight. She tried to catch it with her better hand but the act of Soren attempting the same thing with two hands pushed the box past her and sent it tumbling down the stairs. As it collided with the stone structures, it flipped and broke apart, allowing the contents to spill and slide down the stairs. Shoulder pads, gauntlets, everything Soren needed for a training session with the other knights was cluttered around the stairs and could be heard bumping its way to the bottom of the steps. 

Rayla, holding her wrist, stood at the top of the stairs with Soren, both staring at the mess they had made in mere seconds. She turned back to Soren, still holding her wrist. “I’m so sorry, Soren! I thought it was better now, but--” 

Soren held up a hand to silence her. He sighed deeply before shooting her his usual smile. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it, Ray.” Without waiting for her response, he pushed past her and made his way down the stairs, lifting pieces of gear as he walked. “Why don’t you go see if Claudia needs some help or something.” 

Rayla, feeling more guilt than pain, did as she was told and made her way to the castle’s library: Claudia’s favourite spot. Once she arrived, she found Claudia near the back of the library, sitting alone at a table with a copious amount of books opened. 

“I know you’re not reading all o’those at once.” Rayla laughed. 

Claudia looked up from the book in her hands and snorted. “Oh, thought you were Dad.” She slammed the book shut and pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. “So what brings you here, plumcake?” 

Rayla blushed and played with the hem of her shirt. No matter how long they had been dating, she could never get used to the pet names. “J-Just wanted to know if you needed my help with anythin’.” 

Claudia hummed as she looked over the many books and papers on witchcraft. “Mmm...Nope!” 

Rayla’s face fell. “Are y’sure? Nothin’ I could help with?” 

“Nothing at all!” Claudia replied happily. 

“Really? I can help ya put th’ books back, or...or I could help you write ya notes?” 

Claudia’s face melted into one of confusion and mild concern. “Rayla, is something wrong?”

“W-What! No! Nothing at all!” The elf waved her hands in front of her frantically, forcing a fake, reassuring smile for her girlfriend.  “Why’d you think somethin’ like that?” 

Claudia stood from the table and stared into the eyes of Rayla. The two stood in a stiff silent for a moment, Rayla struggling to keep her smile present and Claudia examining the elf’s face for the answers she wanted.

“I think…” Claudia started.

“Ya think?” Rayla continued.

“You are…”

“I am…?” 

“Bored.” 

“...Bored?” 

“Bored!” Claudia clapped her hands together and pointed to Rayla as she called out. “You’re bored, right? Me too! Let’s go do something fun!” 

Rayla shot a puzzled look. “Claudia, I don’t think I’m--” 

“Shshshsh!” Claudia shushed Rayla loudly and clumsily with a finger over her lips. She put her hands on Rayla’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, Dad won’t even notice we’re gone.” 

“That’s not...what I was tryin’ t’say.” Rayla trailed off, mumbled her words, and sighed in loving defeat as Claudia turned her around and began pushing her towards the doors of the library.

 

* * *

 

The sun was high in the sky by time the two girls had readied themselves to wander the town in search of something to cure the boredom Claudia was self-projecting onto Rayla. They walked side by side through the common streets of Xadia, gentle smiles on their faces and a hue of pink on their cheeks that grew fiercer with the brushing of hands or subconscious compliments. 

Claudia had packed a basket with some quick snacks she could sneak out of the castle’s kitchen but the magic users still took the time to walk through the market, pointing out pastries and candies up in windows for sale. As a member of royalty, Claudia was offered free samples from nearly every booth they passed. She took the time to break each portion into two so her girlfriend could try them as well. For nearly an hour, Claudia and Rayla laughed and giggled through the marketplace together, enjoying their date to the fullest. 

“Ooh, oh! Lookie!” Claudia stuck a gothic, lace, black hat onto her head and spun around dramatically before striking a sassy pose. It suited her overall aesthetic perfectly and added a hint of mystery to her character. 

Rayla took a moment to stare at her girlfriend in amazement. Her strong jaw fell slack, her pale cheeks grew hot, and her lavender eyes flew wide. With all the grace a moonshadow elf in flustered love could muster, Rayla pulled a coin purse from her hip and began counting the contents as she asked the owner of the shack how much they were offering for their hats. 

The owner in question was busying herself with one of the items on display. She was adjusting a large, pink hat atop of a wooden mannequin head. She was an elderly lady with wild, greying hair. “Oh, yes! All hats are…” She turned around with her hands clasped but at the sight of her customer, her features grew dark and she crossed her arms over her chest instead. “Not for sale.” 

Rayla furrowed her brows. “Not for sale? Then why d’you have a shop set up?” 

The lady puffed out her chest. “For paying, working customers. I don’t want any of your moonshadow money. I hear you lot kill anything and everything for a bit of coin.” 

Rayla grit her teeth and curled her fingers into tight fists at her sides. She stuck a finger, shaking in anger, in the woman’s face before biting her tongue and shoving her purse back into her pocket. This wasn’t a war worth fighting for. 

Claudia stepped forwards, holding the hat tightly in her pale hands. Her own face was twisted in rage. “How could a citizen of Xadia believe such rumours?”

The shopkeep quickly uncrossed her arms at the sight of royalty. She nervously combed her fingers through her hair as she tried to explain herself. “C-Claudia! I didn’t see you there! I was just...uhm…”  

“Being a bigot. I know. I saw.” Claudia threw the hat down on the ground and linked her arm with Rayla’s. “Come on, we don’t buy from bigots. And neither will the rest of the castle when they hear of this.”  Claudia made sure to step on the hat as she led Rayla away form the shack, her chin high in the air to enforce her importance. 

Once the two had strode far enough from the store, Claudia burst into a fit of giggles, holding her sides as she snorted in glee. “Did you see her face? As soon as she saw me she turned so pale! She couldn’t even explain herself! That was hilarious, right, Rayla? ...Rayla?”

The moonshadow elf looked down at the ground, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. She quickly looked up at Claudia and felt guilt riddle her body when lavender met emerald and the pure, concentrated concern within the witch’s eyes shot ripples of emotion through Rayla. She averted her gaze and rubbed her arms with the palms of her hands nervously. When Claudia’s green gaze deepend, Rayla felt a shiver tingle her spine and everything she hadn’t said seemed to trickle along it. 

“Sorry,” She finally said. “Sorry, I just… I try so hard and…” Rayla felt her lip quiver and she hated herself for being so weak. If she were running through a forest, a mission tied to her wrist like it had been a couple months ago, she would have been the weakest link in the tribe. She would have been holding everybody back. Why was this moment any different? 

“That wasn’t your fault, Rayla! Don’t apologize.” Claudia placed a gentle hand on Rayla’s shoulder and gave it a tender squeeze. “You aren’t doing anything wrong by being here.” 

“I know I’m not doing anything wrong, it’s just…” Rayla clenched her eyes shut. The feeling of worthlessness washed over her in violent waves. It was becoming harder to keep her thoughts to herself, to keep her head above water. “If you hadn’t been there…” 

Claudia moved her hand from Rayla’s shoulder to her wrist and began pulling her down the street again. Rayla questioned where they were going but Claudia’s eyes were wide and determined, signaling she was in a state of deep concentration and unable to speak normally. Rayla shut her mouth and bottled up her feelings again, allowing Claudia to wordlessly drag her through alleyways and empty roads. 

When Claudia came to a halt, she had dragged Rayla deep into a forest. They were standing within a small clearing surrounded by tall trees. Each one held a fruit of a different colour but all seemed to glimmer and pulsate under the rays of the sun. 

“Where...ar’we?” Rayla questioned, her eyes scanning the grand branches in awe. 

Claudia spun around with her arms opened wide, her black dress spinning elegantly. “My library away from library!” She carefully sat down beneath a tree, nestling between the large, protruding roots, and opened the basket for the first time of that afternoon. “I come here to study in a more peaceful environment and stuff. But usually I come here for...thinking.” 

Rayla sat down beside Claudia and tucked her knees in under her chin. “Thinkin’ about what?” 

Claudia pulled out a slice of bread and some goat cheese from the basket, handing it off to Rayla. She took some for herself as well. “I was hoping you would answer that for me.” 

Rayla quickly looked away, fully understanding the situation at hand. She used a stick to carve circles into the dirt and let her thoughts wander. What should she say? Why she was upset? But why was she upset? Life was going pretty well, so why was she so upset? If she couldn’t answer the questions herself, how was she supposed to explain it to Claudia? 

She looked over to the witch and felt her heart melt when Claudia quickly perked to attention at Rayla’s shuffling, a bit of cheese stuck on her nose. Rayla wiped it with one of her four fingers and licked the substance off of her digit. Her ears twitched when she tasted the cheese. It was rich and creamy, especially when paired with bread it would become a filling snack. But it was missing something. Something extra.   
Rayla looked up at the trees and took note of the distance some of the berries dangling from the last branches were from the ground. An imaginary candle flickered to light above her head. She placed her bread and cheese back into the basket and stood up, brushing off her pants. She took a few steps back from the base of the tree, going over her plan in her head. 

Claudia swallowed quickly and asked the question appearing first in her mind. “Ray, what’re you doing?” 

Rayla began stretching her arms and legs, cracking her knuckles and wiggling her fingers. “Bread’n’cheese goes great with fruit! I’ll hop on up there an’ shake a few loose, yeah?” 

Claudia took a slow bite from her bread. “You don’t have to do that, I’m fine just eating bread and cheese while we talk. If you really want berries, I can use a wind spell to shake them loose.” 

Rayla’s eyebrows furrowed but her smile remained strong. “No, no, I can do this. Let me help. Let me help.” When she said it the second time, it was more to herself than to Claudia.

She focused on the large trunk of the tree looming before her. “It’s just a hop, skip, an’ a jump! Nothing I haven’t done before! We elves are trained for things like this!” 

Rayla took a running start, staying close to the ground to gain speed before pushing off of a root to scramble up the trunk of the tree. She used the leverage to leap out onto a branch and perched on it like a bird. She balanced herself with her arms out and walked quickly to the end of the branch. She began bouncing her knees, shaking the branch to get the berries to fall down. When they proved too young to fall, Rayla felt her emotions reach the top. How could she hold her own if she couldn’t even help with a picnic? She got bold and jumped off the branch, shaking it harder when she landed. A few berries fell to the ground with a satisfying thump and Rayla jumped again. Then a third time. She was feeling confident on her fourth jump, however, her landing was a bit too rough and the branch gave way beneath her with an audible crack. It went crashing towards the ground, bringing her with it, both victims to gravity. She struggled to grab onto something, anything she could reach before she collided into the hard dirt below, the branch dropping directly onto her ankle with a bloodcurdling snap.   
Rayla hollered in pain and rolled onto her side, hands hovering above her throbbing ankle. 

Claudia leaped up from her seat and rushed to her girlfriend’s side, her hands trembling. “Oh my god, oh my god, Rayla, are you okay?!” 

Rayla felt the blood pool into her cheeks and the heat temporarily distracted her from the shooting pain in her leg. “Yeah! Yeah, I’m, oof, fine!” She moved her weight onto her good leg and hoisted herself up, wincing as she felt the bones in her ankle crunch and twist painfully. 

“No, no! Don’t stand, your leg might be broken!” Claudia pushed Rayla back down onto the ground and squeezed her thigh. “Tell me where it hurts, is it in your lower leg?” 

Rayla jumped at the sudden pressure on her thigh and sat up quickly, instinctively slapping Claudia’s hands away from her leg. “Claudia! I’m fine, really! It’s probably just a sprain!” She tried to stand again, her ears burning bright red. With the help of a nearby shrub, Rayla managed to get to her feet, balancing on one leg to avoid putting pressure on the injured one. “I’m a moonshadow elf, if I can’t power through an injury, I’ll hold everyone back.” 

Claudia sighed and grabbed Rayla’s arms, pulling them over her shoulders and hoisting the smaller girl onto her back. She hooked her hands under Rayla’s legs and when the elf hissed, she apologized profusely. 

“I’m taking you back to the castle and we’re having the doctors look at you.” Claudia began walking back the way they had came. “I don’t know how it was with the moonshadow elves but in Xadia, being injured doesn’t make you weaker. We’ll talk more about this when we get you checked out.” 

Rayla opened her mouth to respond but bit her tongue and hid her face in Claudia’s long, black hair. Even if she spoke, what would she say? You wouldn’t understand? This is how I was raised? Don’t baby me even though I love it when you do? Nothing she thought was how she really felt. Everything sounded too harsh. Everything made her sound like a  _ monster _ . Rayla bit her lip hard, silencing herself as tears began to well in the corners of her eyes. She couldn’t tell if it was from the pain in her leg, or the pain in her chest. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claudia helps Rayla during the healing process.

Ezran, holding Bait close to his chest, stared at the bundle of white encased around Rayla’s ankle. “Does it hurt?”

“Of course it hurts, Ez. It’s broken.” Callum replied, standing on the opposite side of the bed with his hands on his hips. “But, it doesn’t hurt too bad that we can’t draw on it, right?” 

“Draw on it?” Rayla cocked her head to the side. She was propped up against an abundance of pillows within her bed, her leg, now in a cast, was hanging in the air from a ribbon tied to the roof. “Why would y’write on it?” 

Callum pulled a few pencils from his bag. “So it’s not just a boring, blank slate!” He handed one of the pencils to Ezran. “Can we? Please? We promise to be gentle!”

“Yeah! Bait promises too!” Ezran chimed in.  

Rayla looked past her leg to share a look with Claudia. They had set up a desk in Rayla’s room the night before so she could help keep an eye on her girlfriend without putting her studies at risk. It also allowed them to spend more alone time together. A win-win-win situation.   
Claudia shrugged in response and motioned with her hand, signalling Rayla to answer however she pleased. 

Rayla shrugged back with a lopsided smile. “Sure, I guess.” She didn’t quite understand the reasoning but she wasn’t exactly opposed to it either. 

With twin smiles, the brothers went to work on her cast. Ezran doodled small pictures of Bait and wrote little passages wishing her a quick recovery. His letters were slightly squiggly and he had to sound out the words at times but he got a majority of them right. Callum used his artistic skills to sketch a garden of flowers that flowed around the sides of the cast. It wasn’t long before he began pulling out a few coloured pencils to finish off the sketch. As they worked, Rayla laid back into the plush pillows and let her eyes go out of focus, staring up at the high, beige ceiling. 

The giggles and scribbling of pencils melted into white noise and eventually dissipated from her attention. Once again, Rayla was alone with all of her thoughts. 

‘ _ Six weeks, the doctor said. Six weeks of layin’ in bed, doin’ nothing. _ ’ Rayla went over his brief list of what she could and couldn’t do until the bones in her ankle had properly healed. ‘ _ No walking around without help, no training or exercise, meals should be brought to my room _ .’ She grimaced.  _ ‘If I was useless before I’m even worse now _ .’  

Without consent, the tears began to fall. They burnt her eyes and rolled down her cheeks like an avalanche of sorrow. Callum and Ezran stopped their doodling and looked up at the sobbing elf. She took notice of the new attention but the tears wouldn’t stop. She hiccuped and inhaled more than she exhaled, her shoulders shook violently with every gasp. Rayla tried desperately to dry her eyes with her pyjama sleeves but her sobs came out harder each time. She was completely breaking down. 

“We, uh, can give you two some space, uhm.” Callum pushed his stationary into his bag and grabbed Ezran by the collar. He dragged him along on his way to the door, throwing him and Bait out into the hall quickly. He poked his head back in before closing it completely.“Get well soon, Rayla!” The door slammed shut, shaking the ornaments on the walls and leaving the elf and the mage alone, together, in the room. 

“Sorry, god, I’m so sorry,” Rayla choked out apologies through her tears and tried to blink away the water from her eyes. “Do ya need help with y’studies? I can--just let me--!” 

In the blink of an eye, Claudia was by Rayla’s side, pushing her back down into the pillows by her shoulders. “Rayla, no, you need to rest.” The pity in her voice, in her elegant, green eyes, sent Rayla into another fit of tears. 

Angry, frustrated tears. 

“I said I can help!” Rayla twisted her torso the best she could from her position, pushing Claudia’s hands off of her. She tried to get up again, pulling her leg to shake it free from the ribbon. “I can hold m’own! I can, I’ll show ya!” The cast was heavy and the ribbon held her leg high. She struggled within the thick sheets and pillows to get it free. Her voice rose with her rage and the tears burnt her face as they fell. “Moonshadow elves don’t get to take six weeks off! If we do, we die! People we love leave!  _ You’ll _ leave!” 

Claudia grabbed Rayla’s wrists to stop her. Her grip was strong enough to move Rayla’s arms away from her leg but gentle enough to not hurt her. “Rayla, what are you talking about? Why would I leave? Where would I go?” 

“To someone better! Stronger! Someone who can make you proud! Someone who isn’t a coward like me!” Rayla fell into Claudia’s chest, sobbing heavily as she ranted. “I’m scared, Claudia! I’m afraid of not being good enough, not meeting your expectations, not meeting  _ everyone’s _ expectations. If I can’t help around the castle, if I can’t help anyone, what’s stopping you from leaving me behind? Leaving me to find someone better?”

Claudia crawled into Rayla’s lap, holding her head close to her chest and running her lithe fingers through the silver hair. She inhaled deep and shaky before exhaling through her mouth. “My love for you.” She leaned back and planted a gentle kiss to Rayla’s forehead. “I love you, Rayla. Only you. There is no way I’d ever find someone better.” 

Rayla felt her lip quiver and Claudia leaned her head up upwards, giving it a gentle kiss. 

“I love the words you say.” She kissed her forehead again. “That are thought by your very own mind.” She kissed both of Rayla’s soaked cheeks. “The way your cheeks get kind of puffy when you smile.” Rayla’s eyes fluttered shut when Claudia brushed her lips over them. “And the way your eyes close a bit because of it.” 

She sat back on Rayla’s thighs and dragged her hands from her jaw to her shoulders to her wrists. She brought the elf’s hands up to her lips and kissed each finger tenderly. “I love the things you can create and even destroy with nothing but these.” She kissed the palms of her hands. “You hold so much potential, as a moonshadow elf who fights for freedom,” She kissed Rayla on the lips again. “And as my girlfriend. I know this, and so do so many other people, you don’t have to constantly be proving yourself. Especially after solving that huge war between humans and elves! You’re amazing Rayla. Be kind to yourself.” 

Rayla sniffled and looked up into the emeralds of Claudia. She knew her girlfriend was right but couldn’t stop the deepening pit in her chest. She was still sad but her eyes and throat were raw, she couldn’t cry anymore even if someone broke her other leg. 

After a minute of silence, Claudia spoke up again, her voice comforting and smooth. It was just above a whisper. It was loving. “How about I grab you some crutches and we take another walk through town, hm? I think your boredom is making you upset.” 

Rayla smiled, her eyes closing peacefully. “Yeah, I think you’re right.” She felt Claudia shuffle and gripped onto her black dress, pulling her back down gently. She was warm. “Could we...stay like this for a little longer...before we go? Please?” 

Claudia chuckled and sat back down, resting her chin on the top of Rayla’s head. “Of course, Rayla. Take as long as you need to get better. I’ll be right here.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> second part of the commission! check out my tumblr if you like my work! (punkshock)

**Author's Note:**

> this was commissioned for real cheap! if you like my work, check out my tumblr (punkshock) !


End file.
